Grab-bucket hanger.



D. J. EVANS. GRAB BUCKET HANGER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18, 1911.

1,094,545. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.Daoct flircw D. J. EVANS.

GRAB BUCKET HANGER. APPLICATION IILEI) DEO.18, 1911.

1,094,545. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. J. EVANS. GRAB BUCKET HANGER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18, 1911 Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

DAVID J. EVANS, 0F KENILWORTI-I, ILLINOIS.

GRAB-BUCKET HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application filed December 18, 1911. Serial No. 666,474.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID J. EvANs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenilworth, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grab-Bucket Hangers, of which the following is a full, true, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which this appertains to make and to use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hoists for operating grab buckets, clam shell buckets and the like and has special reference to improvements in mechanism for turning the buckets to change the operative position thereof.

The general object of my invention is to provide means whereby the efficiency of hoisting rigs using grab buckets for loading and unloading bulk cargoes from vessels can be greatly increased.

A further object of my invention is to reduce to a minimum the manual labor necessary for the operation of grab buckets and the like in unloading vessels, thereby greatly reducing the handling expense; and a further special object of the invention is to pro- "ide means whereby any grab bucket which has been used or operated in one position may be easily and quickly turned to operate in a diiierent position; that is, in different angular relation to the mass to be moved or to the hatch of the vessel which is being unloaded.

Still another object of my invention is to provide bucket changing or swinging means which can be applied with little expense to the grab bucket hoisting rigs now in use.

The invention consists generally in a grab bucket support or hanger of substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, whereby the above named objects as well as certain other objects hereinafter disclosed are attained.

Figure 1 represents a typical hoisting tower equipped with my novel grab bucket support, or hanger, and illustrates the grab bucket at work in the hold of a vessel lengthwise the hatch thereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a grab bucket equipped with my novel hanger and showing the holding or opening lines connected to the hanger for operating the bucket lengthwise of the hatch. Fig. 3 illustrates the bucket and hanger shown in Fig. 2 but with the holding or opening lines connected to the hanger for operating the bucket crosswise of the hatch. Fig. at is an enlarged plan view of the hanger detached from bucket and hoist. Figs. 5 and 6 are elevations thereof. Fig. 7 illustrates a modified form of hanger adapted particu larly for use with so-called clam shell buckets, the same beiiig a rigid and substantially integral part of the cross head of the bucket. This figure also shows the holding or opening lines attached to the hanger, as for operating the bucket lengthwise of the hatch. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the lines attached to the hanger in such manner is to adapt the bucket for operation crosswise of the hatch. Fig. S) is an en larged plan view of the hanger detached, and Figs. 10 and 11 are side elevations of the hanger.

In unloading ore, coal and other bulk material from vessels, it is common practice to use grab or clam shell buckets, which are operated by means of hoisting rigs. Some of the larger and more expensive hoist ing rigs are equipped with trolleys having turn-tables, whereby the buckets can be 0perated lengthwise of the vessels hatch until all the material within reach of the bucket in that position has been removed, and whereby the bucket can then be swung at right angles to the first position for operating it crosswise relative to the hatch, to thereby remove more of the material. There are, however, a very large number of small old type hoisting rigs now in'use which are not provided with turn-tables and further more which are of such construction that, practically considered, they cannot be equipped with turn-tables. I have illustrated such a rig or tower in Fig. I of the drawings. In unloading vessels with hoisting rigs of this type, the grab bucket is opened or distended and operated lengthwise of the vessel hatch. In other words the bucket when opened occupies a position crosswise of the vessel and hence lengthwise of its hatch. In operating a grab bucket in such position, little more than one half of the vessels contents can be unloaded; after which it becomes necessary to put a number of men in thehold of the vessel to turn or swing the grab bucket around or under the deck between the hatch for the removal of the material between the hatches.

Referring now to the drawings I shall describe in detail my novel grab bucket hanger which can be easily applied to hoist ing rigs of the class mentioned.

In the drawings the vessel 1 is not the type generally used in transporting bulk material, such as coal, ore, sand and the like, and contains a number of hatches 2, and a hold 3, in which the bulk material 4 is stored.

5 represents a grab bucket of the wide opening type much used for handling bulk cargo and it is operated from a hoisting tower 6, through the medium of opening cables 6 and 6 and the closing cable 7. The lower ends of the cables 6 and 6 are connected to the grab bucket hanger 8 and the cables pass over sheaves 6 and 6 in the carriage 6 011 the boom 6 of the tower 6 and then over respective sheaves 6 in the mast 6 of the hoisting tower and thence to the drum of the hoisting engine (not shown) in the operators cab- 6 The closing cable 7 is secured to the closing drum 5 of the bucket 5 and passes over the sheave 5 in the carriage 6 on the boom of the hoisting tower and thence over its respective sheave 6 to the drum of the hoisting engine in the cab 6 By proper manipulation of the cables 6 and 6 and the cable 7, the bucket 5 can be raised and lowered, closed to scoop up a quantity of material and opened to release it in a manner which is well understood.

As before mentioned, it has been necessary to place men in the hold 3 to swing the bucket 5 to a position at right angles to the hatch which position is also at right angles to its initial lengthwise operating position. Such manual swinging of the bucket is, of course, slow and hence reduces the capacity of the hoisting equipment; and further, inasmuch as men working in the hold of a ves: sel receive wages more than double that 01 men doing similar work on the docks, the cost of unloading vessels is thereby greatly increased.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 to 6, 8 represents my novel bucket hanger. It is cruciform in plan, having a central body portion 18 and four arms 19, 20, 21 and 22. Two of the arms, 19 and 20, have upstanding portions, 19 and 20 in which holes 19 and 20 are formed and in which the open ing cables 6 and 6 of the hoist are attached. The arms 19 and 20 also contain holes 19 and 20 in which the opening chains or cables 26 and 26 of the grab bucket 5 are attached. A central hole or fair lead 18 is provided in the central portion 18 of the hanger through which the closing cable 7 passes. One end of the cable 7 is connected to the closing drum of the bucket; the other end is connected to the hoisting drum in the cab of the tower. Rotatably mounted in the central portion 18 of the hanger are a number of rollers 18, which I prefer to use for reducing the friction between the closing and hoisting cable 7 and the hanger. hen it is desired to change the operation of the grab bucket from the lengthwise position relative to the hatch, indicated in Fig. 1, to the crosswise position, the bucket is lowered either into the hold or on the deck of the vessel in order that the grab bucket opening chains or cables, 26 and 26 may become slack, in which condition they can be easily detached from the arms 19 and 20 and attached through holes 21 and 22 to the arms 21 and 22 at right angles to the arms 19 and 20. The bucket may now be raised; and in rising will swing of its own weight to a position at right angles to its former position. Inasmuch as in the former posit-ion the bucket operated lengthwise of the hatch, it is obvious that the new position of the bucket will be crosswise the hatch. Only a small quantity of material remains after the bucket has operated crosswise the hatch. It will now be seen that by means of my invention the major part of the vessels cargo can be unloaded without manual turning or twisting of the bucket.

In Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive, I have illustrated my invention in modified form as applied to a so-called clam-shell grab bucket 50, a typical bucket being shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In adapting it to buckets of this character my invention preferably merges with the usual cross head 5354 of the bucket and in the present instance it is made integral therewith. As shown in the drawings the bucket head is given the form of a four-arm device, the arms being divergently disposed preferably at right angles, The number of arms or connection parts, and their angular disposition singly or in groups depends to a great extent upon the number of cables and bucket operating members to be attached to the device and upon the angular positions in which the bucket is to be used. It is manifest, however, that while this is true, a bucket head of my invention having a given number of connection parts or attachments may be used with an equipment wherein there are a lesser number of cables and bucket members. The device may be given any suitable ge metric form other than the cross shape illustrated in the drawings if desired. In the equipment illustrated in Fig. 7 the opening cables or lines 58 and 58 are connected to the ends 51 and 52 of the device and the closing cable 59 extends substantially centrally through the device, the arm or member 51 being divided and a sheave or pulley 51 mounted therein for this purpose. The operating or opening members 56 and 57 oi the bucket are connected to luvs 53 and 54 respectively and are coincident with these latter arms. In other words, the bucket opening members, in the position of the bucket shown in Fig. 7 are non-coincident with the points to which the opening cables are attached. When the bucket is to be operated in two positions at right angles to each other as, for instance, in the case illustrated, this noncoincident relation amounts to a difference of 90 degrees. WVhen it is desired to swing the bucket at the right angled position shown in Fig. 8, it is simply necessary to lower the bucket into the hold of the vessel or on its deck until the cables are slack and then transfer the opening cables to the arms or connection parts 535 I; in other words, change or transfer the opening cables to a position or relation coincident with the points of connection of the operating members 56 and 57. Thus it will be seen that my improved device is universally applicable to unloading buckets and equipments, it being only neces sary to arrange the number of points of connection for the cables and bucket members according to the equipment and the various positions in which the bucket is to be used.

Various modifications within the scope of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art and I do not limit my invention to the specific structure herein disclosed.

Having thus d claim as new and Patent:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a three line hoisting rig, a grab bucket, and a one-piece cruciform hanger interposed between said hoisting rig and said grab bucket, operative connections between said hoisting tower and said hanger and between said hanger and bucket, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a three line hoisting rig, a grab bucket, a cruciform hanger interposed between said hoisting rig and said bucket, cables connecting said hoisting rig with the cruciform hanger and other cables or chains connecting said hanger with said bucket.

3. In a grab bucket support having a cen tral opening, a cruciform hanger, portions scribed my invention, I desire to secure by Letters on each of the arms of said hanger for the attachment of cables and lugs on two of said arms for the attachment of other cables, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, a plurality of arms radiating from a central portion in pairs diametrically opposite said central portion being provided with a central cable opening, each pair being adapted for the attachment of a pair of cables, lugs on two of said arms for the attachment of other cables as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a grab bucket hanger, two pairs of arms arranged at right angles to one another and connected by a central portion, each of said arms being provided with holes for the attachment of cables of the hoisting equipment, lugs on two of said arms forming other points of attachment for the cables of the hoisting equipment and the central portion of the hanger being provided with an opening, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, an integral hanger, a central portion, four arms projecting from said central portion, said arms being substantially 90 apart, holes in each of said arms, friction rollers mounted in the central portion of the hanger around a central hole extending through the central portion of said hanger.

7 The improvements herein described comprising two opening cables and a centrally arranged closing cable, said cables occupying relatively fixed positions, in combination with a grab bucket and a cruciform hanger interposed between the cables and the bucket, the two openino' cables being attached to the cruciform hanger and the closing cable passing centrally therethrough, said mechanism adapted to shift the bucket by merely shifting the connection of the opening cables with the cruciform hanger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 2nd day of December, 1911, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID J. EVANS.

Witnesses:

M. SIMON, CHARLns GILBERT I-IAWLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). O. 

